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Summer Fruit Devotion: Joy Day 4
Joy in Unity “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-4 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Joy Day 3
Joy in Prayer “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Joy Day 2
Joy in Tribulation “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:6-9 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Love Day 5
Abiding in Love “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Love Day 4
Speaking in Love Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Love Day 1
Who is Love? “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God;…
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Summer Fruit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” –Galatians 5:22-26 Summer fruit is sweet and refreshing. Often found in beach coolers, at backyard BBQ’s, and as an afternoon snack. Watermelon, strawberries, peaches, pineapples, cherries, all bursting with flavor and nourishment. For the next two months here at Curated Faith I’ll be posting a…
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Spiritual Metabolism
Psalm 119:69-70 “The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.” I love the contrast in these verses the where the heart is used symbolically. David’s “whole heart” keeps and delights in God’s Word, while the insolent (rude and arrogant, lacking respect) heart is “unfeeling like fat.” What a great word picture. Of the heart Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” The heart is considered the seat of our emotions but it is also a muscle. Muscles are full of sensory…
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4 Benefits of Preparation & Rest
Last year at this time we were making the final preparations for our daughter’s wedding. It was stressful, intense, and very busy. There were so many details and it seemed like every day we thought of something else that needed to be done or picked up or added to the list. Now we are preparing for a two week cross country road trip and I find myself in planning mode again. I’m up to my eyeballs in maps, lists, itineraries, and hotel reservations. Every time I go to the store I think of something or end up buying something else we will need to bring with us. This has all…
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Help from the Sanctuary
Psalm 20 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) 1 The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; 2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; 3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. 4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. 5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions. 6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven…
